Animal trap



Dec. 30, 1941. ADAMS 2,268,468

ANIMAL TRAP Filed Jan. 27, 1941 ezq. I.

awe/whom Patented Dec. 30, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANIMAL TRAP Cornelius Warren Adams, Biloxi, Miss.

Application January 27, 1941, Serial No. 376,206

2 Claims.

This invention relates to animal traps, and has for one of its objects the production of a. simple and efficient trap having a specially constructed tripping platform so arranged and mounted as to be economical in construction and simple in operation.

A further object of this ivention is the production of a simple and eflicient means for controlling the release of the closure gate of the trap, the tripping platform and the means for controlling the release of the door being constructed in a manner whereby said means may be efficiently supported in a swinging position to release the entrance door when an animal steps upon the treadle plate or tripping means.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear throughout the following specification and claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the trap;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrow;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

By referring to the drawing, it will be seen that I designates the base of the trap which is provided with upstanding side flanges II and an upstanding rear flange l2 to constitute a rigid bottom. The base or bottom I0 is provided with a forwardly extending lip l3 which extends in front of the door opening 14 formed in the front panel I5. A wire mesh dome-like cover I6 is carried by the base l0 and engages the front panel 15.

The front panel 15 is provided with a rolled track channel I! in which is mounted a vertically sliding gate [8. The front panel I is provided with a pair of side flanges I9 and a bottom flange 20, the flanges l9 and 20 being bent backwardly to reinforce the side edges of the door opening l4 and to provide efiicient means for holding the front panel in engagement with the wire mesh covering IS. The vertical sliding gate I8 is provided with a finger-engaging hook 2| near its upper end to facilitate the gripping of the gate to move the gate to an open position.

A pair of spaced cradle racks 22 are carrie by the base l0 within the trap and these cradle racks 22 are provided with V-shaped sockets 23 in which the treadle supporting shaft 24 is mounted. The racks 22 may be secured in any suitable or desired manner to the base 10. A treadle supporting member 24 carries at one end a treadle plate 25 which is adapted to be engaged by a stop bracket 26 to limit the upward swing of the treadle plate as will be obvious by considering Figure 1. The treadle supporting member is preferably formed from a flat bendable strip of metal and comprises a vertically extending loop 21 which overhangs the transverse shaft 24*. The loop 21 terminates in a downwardly extending loop 28 and this loop 28 terminates in an upward extending portion 29 the terminal of which extends forwardly to provide a gate-engaging tongue 30. The loops 2! and 28 are firmly secured together by means of a retaining strap 3| firmly securing the loop 21 around the supporting shaft 24 The forwardly extending tongue 30 is braced by means of an angle bracing wire 32 which also engages the treadle supporting member 24 near the treadle plate 25.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a very simple and efiicient means has been provided for rockably supporting the treadle supporting member 24 upon the shaft 24*, and that this treadle supporting member may be formed from one single strip of flat material providing an economical structure which may be very readily and conveniently assembled to accomplish the desired result.

The vertically sliding gate I8 is adapted to slide vertically within the vertical trackways ll of the front panel l5 and this front panel is provided with an upwardly extending portion 33, which provides a guide and retainer for the gate I8 when it is in a vertically extended position.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The gate I8 is raised to the position shown in full lines in Figure 1, and the gate supporting tongue 30 is moved from the dotted line position to the full line position where this tongue 30 extends under the lower edge of the gate l8 and constitutes a support for the gate. A bait 34 is placed upon the inner end of the treadle plate 25 and the supporting cradles 22 are placed near the center of the trap so as to provide a passageway for the rodent upon either side of the supporting cradles 22. The rodent will enter through the opening l4 and pass to the rear of the trap and as soon as the rodent steps on the treadle plate 25 this treadle plate will move to the position shown in dotted lines, the treadle supporting members 24 rocking upon the supporting shaft 24 and thus swing the gate supporting tongue 30 to the position shown in dotted lines from under the lower edge of the gate H3.

The parts are so positioned as to cause the gate I 8 to be delicately balanced upon the extreme outer end of the tongue 30 and as the treadle plate 25 is swung downwardly the outer edge of the tongue 30 will be swung upwardly and inwardly of the trap away from the lower edge of the gate l8. The weight of the gate I8 will then cause the gate to automatically drop to a closed position over the opening I! and in this way prevent the rodent from escaping through the opening I4.

It should be understood that certain detail a changes in the device may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention so long as such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is: v,

1. A trap of the class described comprising a body, avertically sliding gate carried by one end of the body, a treadle means comprising a supporting member formed from a sheet of material, a transverse shaft for supporting the supporting member, the supporting member comprising an upwardly extending loop and a downwardly, extending loop, means for binding the loops together to hold the upwardly extending loop about the shaft, the downwardly extending loop terminating in an upwardly extending portion and carrying a gate engaging tongue, the gate engaging tongue being" adapted to engage said gate for supporting the gate in an open position, and the treadle means being adapted to be tripped to swing the tongue out of engagement with the gate and to permit the gate to automatically drop to a closed position.

2. A trap of the class described comprising a body, a vertically sliding gate carried by one end of the body, a treadle means comprising a supporting member formed from a sheet of material, a transverse shaft for supporting the treadle member, the treadle member comprising an upwardly extending loop and a downwardly extending loop, means for binding the: loops together to hold the upwardly extending loop about the shaft, the downwardly extending loop terminating in an upwardly extending portion and carrying a gate engaging tongue, the gate engaging tongue being adapted to fit under the bottom edge of said gate for supporting the gate in an open position, the treadle member being adapted to be tripped to swing the tongue out of engagement with the gate and to permit the gate to automatically drop to a closed position, cradle members supporting said shaft, a treadle plate carried by said treadle member, and a brace connected to the treadle member adjacent the treadle plate and engaging said gate engaging tongue for bracing said tongue.

' CORNELIUS WARREN ADAMS. 

